How family Christmas experiences change as we grow older
By: lucy
TAGS: Christmas
When I was a little girl, our family Christmas celebrations were full of Christmas traditions and my parents spent tremendous time and effort making sure our Christmases were filled with magic and excitement.
Preparations and traditions passed through my family for generations. The shopping, the cooking, the decorations, the atmosphere – our Christmas was a wonderful time. Between Santa and the presents and the spending time together over a long break – I just loved the enticing celebration of all things Christmas.
From breaking up for the Christmas holidays, to the anticipation of Christmas Eve, all the way through until New Year, it was all so special. Festive music, Christmas smells, presents, Santa visits and stockings – and the overall Christmas atmosphere – I revelled in it all.
I should thank my parents. I have no doubt they chose to spend a large amount of time and effort – not to mention money – each year ensuring we had an utterly amazing Christmas. I suspect they realised that spending time on all of the family traditions each year would encourage us all to want to spend the holiday as a family each and every year as we grew up – and they were right. I loved driving home for Christmas Eve each year, knowing I’d be spending time together with them, indulging in well-loved family traditions.
That said, as a career girl, thousands of miles from home, I fear I lost the ability to recall the magic of Christmas. Dare I say that I turned into a little bit of a Grinch? The idea of spending so much time and money on Christmas seemed like such a lot of effort.
Working hard and building a new life for myself, I became preoccupied with relationships, my job, and my social life. Each year, as Christmas approached, it felt a little like I was being swamped by Christmas traditions and the pressure to be in a million places at once, trying to spend time with everyone. My family Christmas celebrations found themselves pushed aside.
As for today, now that I’m a Mum to three gorgeous little ones? I’ll be honest, for the first few years of motherhood – when I was sleep deprived and a little overwhelmed – the idea of a traditional Christmas with all of my relatives seemed almost impossible. It felt like Christmas was all about the shopping and the expense and not about the magic of the season.
But now that my family is out of the baby and toddler stage, it’s all changed again. I can hear them practicing Christmas carols around the house, and the magical anticipation of a traditional Christmas is rapidly returning.
I have found myself trimming Christmas costumes with tinsel, and organising craft-gifts for my children’s teachers. I have revelled in helping my children sort out Christmas tree decorations, and downloading classic Christmas tunes so that we can play them in the car. I have, just like my parents, made list upon list of all of the lovely things that we can share over the coming holiday season.
Certainly there are lists of presents that need to be bought, and Christmas cards to write. Sure, there is a list a mile long of seasonal foods that need to be bought and prepared. But there are also the exciting Christmas things on my list too – like taking the kids to see Santa, and going to our local Christmas parade. Family Christmas Carols in the park, along with viewing all the festive lights adorning local homes.
And the best family Christmas moment for me? Filling their stockings on Christmas Eve, having all the presents wrapped and sitting back with my husband and admiring the tree and its twinkling lights, together. And realising that we too are creating beautiful memories for our own children…
What’s your favourite Christmas moment?
lucy
Lucy juggles parenting with her own journey to health and wellbeing. She knows how tricky it can be to balance all the roles that Mums undertake - and how much more fun it all is with energy and vitality on your side. Lucy blogs at Diminishing Lucy, where she shares her weight loss journey, along with tales of family life.
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I think I've always loved Christmas, but most of my childhood ones were disappointing. So it wasn't until I was older, that I was able to create magical Christmasses, and hopefully, recreate them with my kids. I certainly get the importance of families and being surrounded by loved ones and sharing the joy.
I'm following along with everything you've said here Lucy. I remember the no-kids stage when I was excited about Christmas but didn't really have the "spirit". And yesterday I was just talking to my sister -- who has 2 toddlers and pregnant with her third -- and she said she doesn't feel like putting up a Christmas tree... I remember that stage too. So I gave her my little-already-made-up-fibre-optic Christmas tree so she could at least feel a bit Christmassy (I know I would have like someone to do that for me at that stage). And now, that my children are a little older I feel I'm in my Christmas element. It's just wonderful! Seasons... true.